My name is Alyssa Elza, owner and creator behind Revamp Boutique, and I am fortunate enough to live in the beautiful, small town of Geneva, IL. My husband and I have a lovely dog, Isabella (a rescue dog with all her quirks!), but more importantly, we are due any day now with our first child - can’t come soon enough! On a random note, my favorite ice cream flavor is dark chocolate with bitter chips...I’m a serious fan of dark, very dark chocolate.

-Describe an average day in life of "you".

I don’t seem to have an average day lately with being so pregnant. But, back when I was more mobile and able to focus 100% on my business it went something like this:Wake up around 9am (I am NOT a morning person) and have a simple breakfast along with my hot tea or coffee. Get ready for the day, walk my dog, then head off to the computer to check business-related items and emails. Make my ‘to-do’ list for the day (it’s the only way I can truly get things done on time). I head down to my workshop and either design and/or package custom orders. Break for lunch and catch a little Barefoot Contessa on tv. Continue with custom orders, but if I have enough time afterward, I will brainstorm and/or create new product for the shop. I usually work until 4:30, but it totally depends on the amount of orders that need to be fulfilled. There are times I work into the night – and I actually focus much better when the sun goes down.

-Were you creative growing up/what did you enjoy doing?

I preferred painting and creating all sorts of 3-dimensional art pieces as a very young child. Sports were always on the back burner. I was also obsessed with decorating anyone’s bedroom that would let me! Hence, my future pursuit of studying interior design/architecture during university.

-What made you want to start selling on etsy?

Etsy seemed like the perfect place to start selling my wares. It was so user friendly and the risk was quite minimal. In my eyes, it was just a great venue for creating opportunities to promote my items and get a better sense of what people liked.

-How long did it take for you to get your first sale on etsy?

Well, of course I have wonderful family and friends that ordered my first items! But, my serious ‘first’ sale took about two weeks. It was so exciting! Once you make that first sale to a stranger, you find you become that much more motivated.

I definitely have plans to learn old-world upholstery and furniture design. This is the ‘goal’ I have for my business within the next few years. Of course, it will focus on ‘revamping’ old, discarded pieces. On another note, I also dream of learning cello.

-What would you suggest to new etsy sellers to promote their shops?

Just jump in! I barely had anything ready for selling, but made myself set-up my shop anyways. Once you make this move, you will have more motivation and a sense of responsibility to create and promote your goods. Remember that you will have up times and down times, but that is the nature of the beast. Just keep promoting what you do have through showcases, treasuries (this is a big one), and renewing your items so they get more views.